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General discussion

Do burned CDs and DVDs have a shelf life?

Jan 30, 2009 5:52AM PST
Questions:

I've been backing up my important files on recordable CDs and DVDs for a quite a few years now. However, the other day my friend told me that he read some article explaining that burned CDs and DVDs, while a reliable backup method, do have a shelf life and one day they will fail to read and that I should make duplicate backup copies of my files on another media or external hard drive just in case. This is new news to me, but paranoia still set in! I went immediately to check on a few of my backed up CDs from many years ago dated 1998 and 1999 and was relieved to find that they read perfectly fine from my PC. Now I'm questioning if what my friend read was a myth and I'm turning to you for answers. Is it true, will burned CDs and DVDs eventually become unreadable? If there is a shelf life, what is their expected life span? Are there better quality CDs or DVDs recordable discs that are better for longtime storage? What is the best way to store burned disc to prolong shelf life, if there is such a thing? Am I being paranoid for no reason? Have you had any old burned CDs or DVDs fail on you because they were too old? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks for any facts you can provide.

--Submitted by Michael D.

Here are some featured member answers to get you started, but
please read up on all the advice and suggestions that our
members have contributed to this member's question.

CD/DVD shelf life --Submitted by Zouch
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7588_102-0.html?forumID=70&threadID=327942&messageID=2966806#2966806

Longevity of optical media --Submitted by Watzman
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7588_102-0.html?forumID=70&threadID=327942&messageID=2966751#2966751

Life depends on quality--here are my experiences --Submitted TonyGore
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7588_102-0.html?forumID=70&threadID=327942&messageID=2967126#2967126

To read or not to read? That is the question. --Submitted by Starkiller5
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7588_102-0.html?forumID=70&threadID=327942&messageID=2967968#2967968

Do burned CDs and DVDs have a shelf life? --Submitted by explorer2_000
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7588_102-0.html?forumID=70&threadID=327942&messageID=2966896#2966896

About CD/DVD lifespan --Submitted by mssusanf
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7588_102-0.html?forumID=70&threadID=327942&messageID=2967294#2967294

If you have any additional tips, knowledge, or experience to share with Michael, please click on the reply link below and submit your answer. If you have links that will help with this topic, please do provide it in your submission. Thank you!

Discussion is locked

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less air expose the better!
Feb 8, 2009 8:29AM PST

I agree with you plstic containers offer better air protection than just paper sleeves.
It is like using tupperware instead of a brown bag for storing food in the refrigerator. One goes bad much faster, but eventually both suffer the effects from air.
So I say it once again, air tight storage is probably the best way to prevent cd data loss.
They make these nice square air tight, snap lid containers now, probably great for a stack of important cd in paper sleeves to be kept in long term.
Happy

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Sony Does Not Make Their Own Discs
Feb 14, 2009 10:43PM PST

There is no such thing as a Sony CD-R or DVD-R , only a Sony branded CD-R or DVD-R.Check the packaging.Some say "made in Taiwan",some say "made in Japan",some say that they are made in other places.Sony does not have their own disc factories in all of these places.

Sony is just a brand name that people associate with quality because of what they did decades ago.The only things that Sony is good for now are LCD TV's (but Pioneer and some Panasonic plasmas are better), digital cameras (but Canon's are better), and the Playstation 3.

I do give them credit for developing (or helping to develop) Super Audio CD's and Blu-Ray discs,however.They had better hope that they can get OLED TV's out there larger than 11 inches.

Back to the blank discs,once again "Archival Grade" gold recordable discs by MAM-A (Mitsui),Kodak,Quantegy,Verbatim (not to be confused with their regular recordable discs),Falcon, and Delkin Devices (E-Film) will far outlast any batch,good or bad, of Sony branded recordable discs.

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Shelf Life for CDs & DVDs?
Feb 8, 2009 5:06AM PST

First of all, make sure that you purchase good to excellent quality media. The Dollar Store "bargains" just won't cut it.

The better quality media is reputed to have a Shelf Life of 30 - 50 yrs provided they are stored in a proper container, in a vertical position - although I've never heard any substantial arguments as to the proper position - and in a consistent environment - more than likely a place out of direct sunlight where the mean temperature varies little.

You might want to check out the website:

http://www.cdfreaks.com/

This website can offer a lot of info in regards to the choosing & care of CD/DVD media.

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CD Shelf life, recording, etc...
Feb 13, 2009 10:30AM PST

What an interesting topic this is. I burn most of my CD's on a Philco 'Stand-Alone' burner, which I've patched into my stereo system. I wonder if there's a difference in shelf-life between CD's dubbed on a stand-alone burner as opposed to discs dubbed in yer computer. I have a few recordable CD's burned as far back as 4 years ago; no problems with them, so far.

Also, my stand-alone burner can only use discs which have the words 'digital audio' in the CD logo; do those last any longer/shorter than the discs which are only for computer burning? Conversely, I CAN use a 'digital audio' CD in my computer, though. That must have something to do with dubbing speeds, etc.

As far as particular brands, MEMOREX CD's are awful. I've had more aborted recordings, errors, and unreadability with that brand than any other. The best brand of recordable CD I've found is FUJIFILM. Maxell discs are okay, too, but Memorex is a pretty dismal brand.

Finally, a few weeks ago, I managed to get 79:59 worth of music on an 80-minute disc. I got lucky there. I'm currently converting my LP collection to CD; it's amazing how much warmer an LP-to-CD sounds than the regular pre-recorded CD's you can buy from your local music vendor. I have 3,000 LP's. So this project which I have imposed upon myself, at the rate I'm going, should take me at least the better part of a decade.

Have I typed too much yet?

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Would like to suggest another way
Feb 14, 2009 3:56AM PST

Hi,

As I do not want to post advertising here I still would like to tell you about what our company does for saving audio media (LPs, 45, 78 rpm) reel to reel, 8tracks, cassettes, etc).

I think you might just end up saying what many of our customers say when they see the results "I have never seen anything like it".

I believe we could not only save you enormous amount of your time but give you a permanent saving of your memories accompanied by a complete catalog of all your audio (you can also add digital recordings to it like CDs) and including a listing by interprets.

And when it comes to create CDs from your database you will be able to request one-for-one copies or customize your output and create any CD you like with selected material placed in the order you wish.

Oh Did I say that each CD will be printed with the entire content of your CDs as will the Insert for the Jewel box?

If you are interested e-mail me at mmcsi@attglobal.net

Thanks

Serge

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lp to cd sound
Feb 14, 2009 11:26PM PST

I am a retired audio engineer. I spent 8 tears cutting disc masters for companies such as Mercury Classical, Kapp, Command and many other labels. The reason that lps on cd sound better than pure cds is that when you play an lp you are hearing about a dozen diffrent types of distortion that are not present on sound that is digital from begining to end.

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Everything fails - the question is when
Feb 13, 2009 10:35AM PST

I've been burning CDRs since 1992, and oddly, some of those old 63 minute CDs still play fine. I also have CDs & DVDs that are a month old that won't play on any device without errors.
I've been trying to discern a pattern, but so far it's eluded me. I've gone by make & dye color of the blanks, the length of the blank from (63 to 80+ min on CDs) the machine they were burned on and the machine they were played on. I have yet to find a clear pattern.
Since I have little more than superstition & dumb luck to guide me, I hedge my bets by backing up to optical media, other removable media - from zip & orb drives & DAT tapes in the 90s to SD & thumbdrives today, and also to old hard drives removed from service when something bigger & cheaper came along. It's a mess & a logistic nightmare. I know ALL these media will fail. I'm counting on the fact that they won't all fail at the same time.

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Years
Feb 13, 2009 10:42AM PST

I have burned DVDs and CDs ranging from the lowest of low quality to the top of the line... a lot of them date back to 10+ years ago & they all still work fine.

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To burn or not to burn?
Feb 13, 2009 11:17AM PST

Well this is easy for me every one my old windows 95 CD still work today! on my DVD/CD burner now,so I think I can say I got at lest 10 years ago,I see no reason that I can get one to last 20 years.
I would point out that Rewrite disks have failed me some real cheap very low grade CDs have failed me.

Archive CDs made for data storage has not failed me for more then ten years now.
so I think its safe to say it will be better with media such as Blue Ray DVD that will hold lot more data then my CD-R.
I understand that they are lab tested to last as long as 100 years!
all we can do is wait and see.

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home-burned Blu-ray?
Feb 13, 2009 7:20PM PST

I've never used Blu-ray, but it's my general impresssion that on the one hand, the discs are supposed to be exquisitely sensitive to even the slightest scratch or other kind of surface problem, while on the other hand they are supposed to have a harder scratch-resistant play surface. I'm not sure I would trust valuable data to this format. I also tend to suspect that a home Blu-ray burner drive is likely to be a lot fussier and problematic than a standard DVD drive.

In any case, I definitely recommend against using 8.5 GB DL discs, for any purpose; I've had nothing but trouble with them.

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Something else to consider
Feb 13, 2009 11:59AM PST

Regardless of the shelf life of a particular type of media, you need to take into account changes in technology. How many people can read 5 1/4" floppies anymore, even if the media is perfectly good? As technology evolves and we update our computers, we lose the ability to access some of the older technology. DVDs are gradually replacing CDs, Blu-Ray disks are gradually replacing standard DVDs, something else will come along that will make anything that looks like a CD/DVD/Blu-ray obsolete. When that happens, we will adopt it and begin to lose the ability to read those old CDs. So, if you have something important backed up, be sure to transfer it to newer storage methods as technology evolves.

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An alternative?
Feb 13, 2009 12:49PM PST

I 'spose that if you're really afraid of losing your music on home-made CD's, you could always dub them onto cassette, thus accomplishing 'technology in reverse'...I've got cassettes I recorded 20 and 30 years ago that still sound good. Then all you have to do is dub the cassettes back onto CD again.

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Watch your recording speed
Feb 13, 2009 1:18PM PST

It helps to know how a disc burner works. There has been a push for higher and higher burning speeds over the years. The higher the speed, the weaker the laser pulse, because the laser is pulsed by a capacitive discharge. Go too fast, and the capacitor does not have time to charge fully, and the pit that is being burned will not be very deep partly for this reason, and partly because the burn moves on too rapidly.

The old burners burned at about 2X. Now we are asking for 8X, 16X and so forth, and although the drives are indeed made to handle it, when you get near top burn speed, I'll bet the burn quality is suffering.

Burn your valuable audio at 4X max on your 16X burner, and you will get a longer lasting disc, IN MY OPINION. Others may have a differing view, or something to add.

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Do burned CDs and DVDs have a shelf life?
Feb 13, 2009 6:52PM PST

After reading through the many messages posted here so far, I have a few observations, as well as a few questions.

Several posters have mentioned vinyl LPs, and tapes. It's important to remember the distinction between analog and digital characteristics. Unlike digital, analog recording *always* introduces some degree of distortion. This may or may not be terribly important if you're backing up alphanumeric data, but it can make a huge difference for audiovisual data. Yes, both an LP and a commercial DVD are mechanically pressed, but even under the best storage conditions an LP collects dust in its grooves, and even the best playback needle and arm will cause wear in the grooves, with the result that sound inevitably degrades slightly with each use.

Tape is a magnetic medium. Each time a tape is played, a slight amount of the magnetized oxide coating wears off onto the heads and rollers, again introducing some degradation. Tape is also subject to some amount of print-through, especially with longer--and thus thinner--tapes, where the magnetism "migrates" through its backing onto the layers above and below it. Further, it's possible for tape to stretch slightly. And finally, any external source of magnetism can degrade or destroy the data, depending on its strength and proximity.

With both of these types of analog media you will retain the basic information recorded, but with each playback, and also merely with the passage of time, more and more distortion and degradation of signal will be introduced. This may not be particularly noticeable on an original audiocassette or VHS played on excellent and well-maintained equipment, but distortion becomes immediately apparent if you ever try dubbing a second- or third-generation tape.

Unlike analog media, individual bits of a digital recording are either there, and readable, or they aren't. Virtually every digital recording scheme incorporates an error-correction protocol, so that individual bad bits are corrected in playback. If error-correction gets wiped out you may lose a section of data, or your player may skip or hang (or refuse to load), but uncorrupted data will retain exactly the same quality of information that was originally encoded. Some DVD or CD players are very sensitive to problem areas, while others can be much more forgiving. Commercially pressed DVDs are always far more stable than home-burned discs, but they can have problems if the original pressing was done less than expertly; occasionally you may run across a movie where every copy skips or hangs in the same place.

Thanks to error-correction, most minor scratches on a commercial DVD are ignored by a player. I frequently borrow movie DVDs from my local library or a rental service, and finding a pristine disc is a rarity. Library discs in particular tend to be ill-used, with multitudes of scratches, as well as fingerprints, food, snot, etc. A little water or Windex takes off the foreign matter, and a very finely-abrasive cleaner such as Brasso used with a clean soft cloth will usually tidy up all but the worst scratches. In any case you must always wipe or rub back and forth in a center-to-edge direction--you can rub quite firmly if needed--but *never* around the disc in the direction of play. A random scratch that isn't too deep or too broad will usually spare the error-correction bit, but even a barely visible scratch in the direction of play can easily wipe it out. This kind of scratch is nearly always caused by a portable player being jiggled while playing, or even worse, in a moving vehicle.


Returning to the question of home-burned discs, I have no idea of the longevity that can be expected, but many of the suggestions already made make eminently good sense. Make multiple backups of critical data, if possible no more than second-generation copies from original media, or in any case using as few generations as feasible, always after first verifying the integrity of the source. Use different types of media: CDs or DVDs, external harddrive, flash, online data storage, tape, paper, whatever--including offsite storage--none will always be foolproof. Buy the best discs available for the level of security you need, which may or may not be gold film. Use the best and most reliable CD/DVD writer you can find, and replace it if and when it starts to make errors--I've thrown away two crappy Lite-On drives, and now use either an internal Optiarc or an external HP, either of which is good enough for my purposes. Use well-regarded writing software; I use VSO CopyToDVD, which again suits my own needs. The lower you set the write speed, the fewer write errors are likely to occur. Before writing, inspect each disc for visible dust specks, but try never to touch the play surface with your fingers. Avoid any source of possible vibration while writing, including, as mentioned by one poster, any loud sound. Immediately after writing each disc, verify its playback, preferably in a different drive (or player). Store discs in a dark, dry, cool (not cold) dust-free place, each in its individual pouch.

I've never specifically looked for the recommended Taiyo Yuden discs, but have long used Verbatim DVD+R, which carry a "lifetime warranty"--over the years I've gotten a very few coasters, but never enough to mess around with the warranty. I've given up on other brands, which tended to give a much higher rate of coasters. I've also given up trying to use 8.5 GB double-layer discs, of any brand at all. I've found that when writing VOB files, a reasonable amount of data compression does not noticeably affect audiovisual quality, but disc menus do not like to be compressed, so I nearly always omit them. As far as I'm aware, none of the Verbatim 4.7 GB discs I've written over the past six years have degraded in any way.


A couple of questions:

Someone earlier suggested using DVD-R discs, and I wonder if that was meant to exclude DVD+R; and if so, why?

And someone else cautioned against writing anything directly onto the label side of a disc. I've never tried using LightScribe, and I know better than to put any sort of sticky label onto a disc, so I simply write on it with a Sharpie Fine Point permanent marker. Is there any reason not to do this? In fact I've occasionally erased markings with isopropanol applied with a Q-tip, and so far haven't noticed any playback problems with these discs.

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Overall
Feb 15, 2009 5:49AM PST

I think the preference for digital vs analog is not so much a shelf life issue as it is a sound quality when you are dealling with audio media. Most audiophiles prefer the sound of vinyl records. Even though most ears can't tell the difference, every nuance of sound is recorded to a vinyl record where digital media is a "sampling" technique. That is, digital is a storage of the basic elements of sound at intervals, where vinyl is continuous. The vinyl though is read by a needle touching the grooves so there is more possibility of wear even if the record is handled carefully. On the other hand, there are vinyl recordingds that have been around and still play being decades old and before that there were wire recordings that still play.

As for today's digital media, I think the important thing to remember is that your CD or DVD burner does not make little holes in a metal disk, like you might find on a pressed disk (such as a windows media disk). If you keep the disks in near-perfect conditions (heat, light, etc.) you should be able to read that media after a long period of time. Few people keep things in near-perfect conditions. If I was the manufacterer of bland media, I would tend to find there are probebly many ways to test the future of media readability, but I would always error on the plus side. Independent labs would try to give us a better and more realistic average.

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Careful Storage
Feb 13, 2009 7:44PM PST

I keep all my CDR's and DVDR's stored in zipped up holders which are then stored in a dark closet with a stable environment that never gets too hot or too cold. They also also rarely get used. Out of 300 +/- disks I have never had one go bad in the 10 years I've been doing this.

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Shelf Life Varies by Manufacturer
Feb 13, 2009 8:43PM PST

I burned the pictures from my son's wedding, onto CD - just 4 years ago. I thought I was ok, seeing as I was pretty sure the shelflife of Cd's was around 5- 10 years. Just two weeks ago, I went to make backup CD's. Not one of the Cd's would read. I tried in 3 different machines. I even tried those "data recovery" programs, hoping to salvage Some of the pictures.
No Luck.
Every single picture of my son's wedding is gone.
I am so sad about that.
CD's manufacturers should be responsible for putting a warning on their packaging, stating the shelflife of their product.
I wonder how many more of my CD's are worthless coaters by now.

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The Point
Feb 15, 2009 5:56AM PST

Getting back to the original question, this should be the main point. Nothing lasts forever and, as many point out, the storage conditions and maybe a bit of "dumb luck" would make a big difference in the way the original poster's expectations are set. Just like writing with pen and ink, we still have access to documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the constituition, yet inked letters from this century may have faded away. I'm sorry technology has let you down and have resulted in the loss of your memories.

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Scared the *** outta me!
Feb 13, 2009 9:51PM PST

Y'all have successfully scared the life outta me!

I've always backed up my photos on CDs/DVDs and two external drives, thinking that this grandmother was NOT going to lose a single photo. I knew that external drives can die; been in that movie, have the data recovery bill to prove it. However, I wrongfully thought that the burned media would be safe.

Now, all I can think about is how long it's going to take me to put it all (250+GB) on Gold DVD's and how fast can I get the media and storage shipped to me and burned. Plus, where am I going to store all those discs in their new cases? That's a week out of my life.

And you young-un's wonder what retired grandparents do.

On a serious note ... thanks for all the info and thanks to CNet for bringing the subject to my attention. A new project has moved to the top of my list.

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labels are bad?
Feb 13, 2009 10:34PM PST

Is there any data to show that having a label on a disc is actually a bad thing?

By data, I mean, is there any confirmed research that someone can link to? If so, I'd like to read it.

Also, with writing on the disc with a pen (a safe one).

I'd rather look at hard data, than a presumption that these are harmful to a disc's shelf life.

Thanks

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Epoxy has the shortest life
Feb 14, 2009 1:36AM PST

one 5 pack of individually boxed, triple sealed Sony CD-R's all went bad BEFORE burning: each was coated in a rainbowish haze of factory-dipped {epoxy?) that had softened during shipping or never dried. I managed to wash it off but this exposed the thin reflective coating and ruined the CD-R. I remember having issues with Sony 3.5"diskettes and Hi-8mm video tape. Evidently the Sony name is ALL you pay extra for. Back in the day, all I worried about casstette datapacks was stretching which was cured by copying a tape over itself when it started acting up.

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Use good quality media and you will have no problems!
Feb 14, 2009 1:39AM PST

I find it interesting that there is little discussion on the quality of the media itself.

Believe it or not, it makes virtually no difference what the "brand" name is written on the disc. It has everything to do with the chemical company that makes the discs!

There are only 3 or 4 chemical companies in the world that make optical media. Most are in Taiwan.

The BEST chemical companies out there are Taiyo Yuden (generally used by Sony and Fuji), and Mitsubishi Chemicals (Verbatim, Sony, Maxell).

If you want to know what chemical company is used, look at the bottom of the label (or the side) and see where it is manufactured! If it's made in Japan, 90% of the time it is good quality (Taiyo Yuden or Mitsubishi). If it's made in China, Taiwan or elsewhere, it is usually junk! The ONLY exception to this rule is Verbatim. They used to be in Japan, and moved their plant to Taiwan a few years back.

Discs from Taiyo Yuden or Mitsubishi will NOT suffer from rot or degradation, and they also have uniform burns all the way to the outer edge (this makes a HUGE difference if you burn data to fill up the disc).

If you want more information about quality media, and data burning tips, check out www.afterdawn.com/forums.

Hope this helps!

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Bull Dookie
Feb 14, 2009 1:54AM PST

While the nearly 200 replies contain a lot of good advice, there's also an enormous abundance of, for lack of a better word, "Bull Dookie". Just goes to show one should take almost everything one reads on the internet with a large grain of salt.
The simple answer to your question is, yes, of course, everything has a life-span. Nothing lasts forever except time. There does, however, seem to be an extremely large range of "go-to-crap" time given for burned (at home) CDs/DVDs. As for me, I have CDs which I burned 7 or 8 years ago on a cheap machine (it was Gateway, so it must've been cheap) which are still good. Haven't tried the TY media but learned early on not to go for the bargain-basement house brands. Made a lot of nice coasters that way.

In my other life, I resurface CDs and DVDs that uncaring people have scratched, gouged, and driven over. So I know the biggest factor in longevity is the care and storage given the media. People don't understand that the label side of the disc is, by far, the most vulnerable to damage. And even pressure from a fingernail is enough to put a dent in the reflective layer and deflect the laser, thus making some data unreadable. Pre-recorded discs start out as a clear disc which has the data pressed into it. This is followed by spraying on the reflective layer, gold, aluminum or even platinum. This layer is only a few microns thick. Then the label is printed over that. So there are only a relatively few microns between the data and potential damage. This is why libraries sometimes apply a clear vinyl protective layer. These are made for this purpose and will not degrade the disc. I also use them on my own DVDs and have yet to see any signs of the adhesive loosening or any other adverse effects.

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its a question
Feb 14, 2009 3:03AM PST

I have found that even the older floppies can be read I have an orrigional autosketch that still reads as well as Autocad rel 11
now this is dos

that means some files are still good but would not recomend it

just curious

Larry

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flash drives
Feb 14, 2009 3:57AM PST

I don't even bother using disks. I back up my photos and files on various flash drives. Does anyone know the shelf life of a flash drive/memory stick?

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CD/DVD lifespan shootouts or tests?
Feb 14, 2009 4:01AM PST

I would really like to see some kind of tests done for popular brand name optical media. Just like there are shootouts on hardware and software, so should there be something about optical media. Has there already been something done? If so, please link to it in the first posting so all can see. I think it would be of interest.

I have experienced CD failure, more often on no-name brands. A while back, I bought a few spindles of inexpensive CD media at a "bargain" price. Well, it was not a bargain in the long run. The "foil" layer on the CD eventually began to flake off. And of course, this made the media completely unusable. Brand name is important, but I have to believe not all of them are created equal.

Scratches on CD media will of course affect the ability of the drive to read it. However, scratches can be cleaned off with special kits. They do work! But of course, after recovering the disk, the logical thing is to make a backup of it (if you don't have the original source for what you used to create the CD).

A WARNING about "black" CD media: Memorex has oroduced some black CD media for a while, a rather striking look to the usual flashy rainbow colored CD media. Well, those black CD's are not very reliable. I've experienced them developing bad spots over time. I often burn audio CD's for my car, different mixes that I'm inspired to create on the fly. I do not leave them in the car to be exposed to the extreme temperature changes. However, I've had more of these black CDs end up with "dead" songs (the player gets stuck--have to eject the CD and then intentionally skip over the bad song before it is reached). Never had that happen with other CD's. Do not use them for archival purposes.

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scratches
Feb 14, 2009 6:25AM PST

"Scratches can be cleaned off with special kits"? There's nothing very special about a bit of Brasso and a clean cotton rag.

And even though car CD players are supposed to built more sturdily (the better ones, that is) than cheapo home portable players, any disc--whether factory-pressed or home-burned--that you're playing in an environment subject to vibration or bumping should be regarded as a throwaway, for temporary use only.

Actually, we're talking about several different aspects of data integrity on optical media. First there's the question of whether what's written to disc is exactly accurate--this is a function of the quality of the burner drive and writing software, use of data compression or not, quality of blank discs, user care in handling, removing dust specks, etc, and post-writing verification. Next there are issues of care in the handling, use, and storage of the discs--exposure to light, heat (including playback laser degradation), humidity, fingerprints, scratches, dust and grime, etc. Finally, the question raised in the OP seemed to assume accuracy in transcription and care in handling and storage, and given these, what is a reasonable life expectancy of a physical writable disc and the data encoded in its dye layer? To which there appears so far to be little agreement here.

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CD Eating Fungus reported by BBC news
Feb 14, 2009 4:48AM PST

A geologist at the Museum of Natural History in Madrid discovered a fungus which eats CD's The fungus belongs to the common Geotrichum family, on CDs brought back from the central American state of Belize.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1402533.stm

Marc Valls, a biologist at Spain's National Centre for Biotechnology, warned people not to be alarmed. He said the fungus would only attack CDs under certain conditions.

"Even though this fungus is widespread it could only develop on a CD in high humidity and high temperature, which is not the case most of the time," Mr Valls told the BBC.

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cd longevity
Feb 14, 2009 6:15AM PST

I have had Imation cds fail after a short time. I once bought a package of 100 Sony cds and returned them to the store after having 8 burn failures in the first 14 cds I used. I have had Sony cds go bad in my house after a year or so. I have Fufi cds that have been in one of the holders that are attached to the visor in my car for three or four years with all of the heat, cold and humidity that still play well. When I do something that I really worry about, I use Mam-A gold cds which are comparitively expensive. For other long term storage I use Fuji. For everyday usage my first choice is TDK and my last resort is Memorex.

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Just a suggestion... :)
Feb 14, 2009 8:55AM PST

I suggest storing the CDs/DVDs in some kind of air-tight vacuum-sealed container... Like the ones used for storing vegetables in the kitchen?

My kitchen anyway... Lol

And of course the usual, keep `em out of sunlight, heat, etc.

Hope this helps Happy